Netflix Finds

Movie Review

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Here’s a hot take, Stranger Things, is without a doubt, the most brilliant original Netflix series that currently exists. With a slew of numerous other magnificently scripted, brilliantly acted, and thematically astounding television shows, the period piece drama involving children, Dungeons and Dragons, Ghostbuster’s costumes, and 3 Musketeers bars is without a doubt the shining light above them all. The Duffer Brothers have figured out a way to manufacture that lightning in a bottle that captivated audiences, just one year ago, and I’ll be damned if that blueprint won’t continue to churn out more brilliant seasons in the years to come.

Enter Hawkins, Indiana…again. Join up with the same cast of characters…again. Deal with a majority of the same problems…again. Do you see where this is going? Good, because you couldn’t be more WRONG. Every single aspect of this show has been reinvented, refurbished, and revamped for this new, 9 episode journey into the supernatural. From parenting a demogorgon named D’Artagnan, to raising their Dig Dug scores at the arcade, to Ratt’s: Round and Round being a workout anthem, the town of Hawkins, and those damn… (would Goonies be too coincidental a name to be called?) hooligan kids, are up to their old ways, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

In the aftermath of season 1, Will Byers is home, Eleven is gone, a year has passed and Hawkins is slowly reconditioning itself to be a normal Midwest example of good ol’ Americana. With Dr. Martin Brenner and his skeevy gang of shutter inducing scientists disbanded, the mission of restoration seems to be in full swing. Will has rejoined Lucas, Mike, and Dustin, their D & D conquests still last abnormally long hours, Joyce Byers has found a fresh new romance, and Jim Hopper is still the prime example of Andy Griffith meets Steven Segal. However, in the dark recesses of clearly PTSD stricken Will, a new danger lurks, and is about so consume him, and the town in a way none of them have ever seen.

Accompanying the main cast of characters, Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan, seem to have found their own journey to pursue as the narrative unfolds. These same characters, along with some fresh faces, Bob Newby (Sean Astin), Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery), Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), and Brett Gelman’s quirky private eye, Murray Bauman, help entrust viewers with fresh new character dynamics, and development, that may leave some questioning certain character’s decisions, and moral compasses, and having others gleefully appreciating the chemistry, and teamwork of unlikely pairs.

Additionally, the performances are nothing short of fantastic by every character especially that of Noah Schnapp’s Will Byers, who’s decent into madness is seriously creepy. His slow transition of loveable pre-pubescent middle schooler, to that of haunting puppet master draws you in, and won’t let go.

If you haven’t seen this cultural phenomenon, which let’s be honest, you have, and so have millions of others, you are missing out on one of the most culturally significant programs of the 21st century. Unfortunately Netflix hasn’t released the viewing statistics of the program, which I promise would contest the likes of such giants as AMC’s The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad, heck even HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Look, I’m not saying this is a crystal clean program, it deals with some usual tropes and clichés of other shows, but I’ll allow it, if it means getting a product that is legitimately fantastic.